


A Series of Coincidences

by silver_shot



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M, Mystery, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-22
Updated: 2019-05-24
Packaged: 2020-01-23 19:10:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18556006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silver_shot/pseuds/silver_shot
Summary: He finds her in a convenience store, she's buying eggs. Its two in the morning. Sasuke hesitates; he should approach her – obviously. But he hesitates.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is more like writing practice for me more than anything. I've planned the plot to the end but I can be terrible at updating at times (fair warning about that).

He finds her in a convenience store, she's buying eggs. Its two in the morning. Sasuke hesitates; he should approach her – obviously.  
  
But he hesitates.  
  
He nears her when she looks for milk. When he is within her peripheral view, she freezes – ever so slightly. Sasuke notes this and opens his mouth to speak, but stops when she sighs before him, and turns on her heel so that they face one another.  
  
“Its two in  the morning,” she says.  
  
Sasuke nods, frowning slightly; he notices now that she is wearing what appears to be somewhat professional clothes. Has she come here straight after work?  
  
“This is one of many convenience stores,” she continues, “one of many, in a civilian city, in a country outside the land of fire”. She smiles, softly, “I doubt bumping into you here is just a coincidence”.  
  
This remark is enough to confirm his suspicions, “I'm not someone you'd have like to see here then?”  
  
“I didn't say that,” replies Sakura, “but if you want to interpret my remarks that way, then sure”. Sakura takes a step back, “but I guess that's up to me, goodnight Sasuke-kun”. She turns to leave, but stops upon a hasty “wait,” uttered from Sasuke.  
  
She doesn't turn, but she doesn't leave. She is willing to listen, so he begins, “I came to see you”.  
  
She looks back, “yea...I...already assumed that”.  
  
He pauses, “I want to understand”.  
  
She smiles, “not interested”. She looks away, and begins walking towards the cashier counter.  
  
Sasuke lets her leave this time. Instead he decides an ambush outside the convenience store would be better. He frowns – scratch that, a meeting, not an ambush, a meeting outside would be better.  
  
Sasuke leans against the the brick wall of the convenience store. A short period of time passes before Sakura emerges from inside, holding a paper bag with her groceries.  
  
She smiles upon catching his sight, “yea I...guessed you'd be more persistent”.  
  
She begins walking, Sasuke falls in line and walks beside her. He notes, interestingly enough, that she doesn't object to this.  
  
“So,” begins Sakura, “what brings you to Kibō no machi?”. She notes Sasuke's confused stare and giggles softly, “that's the name of the city”.  
  
“Oh”.  
  
“Didn't you know that?”  
  
“No I just...” he pauses, “arrived here”.  
  
“When?”  
  
“A few hours ago”.  
  
“And you just happened upon me in some random convenience store”.  
  
“I don't know what to tell you,” says Sasuke, “just put it down as a coincidence”.  
  
“hmmm, no. Its too unlikely”.  
  
“Can't tell you anymore”.  
  
“Can't or wont”.  
  
“I don't...both”.  
  
She rolls her eyes, “Sasuke-kun, why did you come find me?”  
  
Sasuke replies, “I want to understand”.  
  
She exhales softly, “you and your vagueness”.  
  
There is something comforting, he considers, about the fact that Sakura is not overly formal with him. “The last time I saw you, it was...”  
  
“In Konaha,” Sakura finishes, “when you were saying goodbye to me-”  
  
“When I was telling you that I'd return”.  
  
“Semantics,” she smirks, “and, so...what?”  
  
“This time when I returned-”  
  
“I know, I wasn't there”.  
  
He shifts his shoulders uncomfortably, “I'm under the impression that its because of me”.  
  
Sakura stops walking. Sasuke does as well. She knows, and says, “let me quell this for you then. My leaving has nothing to do with you, don't...worry?”  
  
She ends her remark awkwardly, then pauses before adding, “anyway, I think its best we..uh, part here. I'm heading home. You should do the same”.  
  
“Wait,” says Sasuke, abruptly stopping her once more, “I find it hard to accept that”.  
  
“Well, you'll just have to find a way”.  
  
“There's more to it than that”.  
  
“Why does there have to be?”  
  
“I spoke to Kakashi”.  
  
“Ah...”  
  
“You renounced your ties to Konoha...you quit as a shinobi of the village”.  
  
“Really?” she smiles.  
  
He frowns upon this remark, so she adds cheekily, “so did you”.  
  
“Which is why I know there is more to the story”.  
  
Sakura sighs, and shifts the grocery bag in her arms, “its two in the morning, Sasuke-kun. Could we do this another time?”  
  
His demeanour softens, “yes, of course”.  
  
She smiles softly, weakly, “I actually live here,” Sakura nods at the apartment complex they currently stand beside, “apartment 313, come by tomorrow afternoon. My shift finishes early”.  
  
He nods, “okay, I'll come by then”.  
  
.  
.  
.  
  
There is a woman that lives at apartment 313 – but it isn't Sakura. The woman that lives in apartment 313 has at least twenty years on him. Attractive in some superficial way, the woman's eyes bulge upon seeing Sasuke stand upon her doorstep; a confused expression painted across his face.  
  
“Uh...” he begins.  
  
“Oh, yummy,” the woman replies, her lips curling.  
  
Sasuke frowns, “is...Sakura here?”  
  
“Who?”  
  
“Sakura”.  
  
“Hmmm,” the woman purrs, “why don't you come in, honey. Let me help you with this-”  
  
“I think I have the wrong apartment,” Sasuke interjects, turning and leaving far too quickly for the woman's retort of, “baby, come back,” to be noted with any clarity by the shinobi.  
  
He rushes down the stairs, and emerges from the complex. Outside, he finds Sakura; leaning against the wall akin to how he was found yesterday in front of the convenience store. She is laughing, Sasuke approaches her.  
  
“I hope Ms. Saito treated you well”.  
  
He frowns, “what is...why?”  
  
Sakura shrugs, “I'm not really going to let you know where I live,” she leans off the wall, and nods for him to follow, “I know a place we can talk”.  
  
.  
.  
.  
  
He expects that Sakura will take him to a bar, or a small coffee shop.  
  
She doesn't however - “What would you like for today?” their server asks them; dressed head to toe in a clown outfit.  
  
Sakura looks up to address the man. A sweet smile across her lips, and the complimentary bunny ears bobbing around as she moves her head, “uh...I'll have the triple-decker strawberry and chocolate sundae, please”.  
  
Their server smiles, “excellence choice, madam,” he turns to Sasuke, and notes that he hasn't put on his complimentary cat ears, he frowns slightly at this, “and you, sir?”  
  
Sasuke replies through grit teeth, “water?”  
  
“Is that all sir?”  
  
“Yes”.  
  
Their server nods, takes their menu's, and leaves. Sakura turns to him, and smiles, “you haven't put on your cat ears”.  
  
“Hell hasn't frozen over yet”.  
  
Sakura sighs, “you should get into the spirit, Sasuke-kun. No one else in the restaurant is throwing a fuss”.  
  
Sasuke frowns, and glances around to note the median age for most of the other customers in the restaurant lie between five to ten years old, barring the accompanying parents of course. He turns back to Sakura, “your tactic isn't going to work”.  
  
Sakura giggles, “Sasuke-kun, there is no ulterior motive here. This is just one of my preferred spots to visit after work”.  
  
Its a likely story, considers Sasuke. “You said we could talk”.  
  
“We're talking”.  
  
“About, your decision to leave...Konoha,” he pauses, “to denounce your ties to it”.  
  
Sakura shrugs, “what of it?”  
  
“I want the backstory”.  
  
“There isn't one”.  
  
“Why are you being difficult?”  
  
“I'm...not, not really,” Sakura shifts on her bar-stool, “why do you care?”  
  
Sasuke frowns softly, “several reasons”.  
  
“Such as?”  
  
“For one, I need to know if I should follow suit or not”.  
  
Her lip twitches, “are you...joking?”  
  
“No”.  
  
“Its a bit played out for you, isn't it? Leaving Konoha, again”. Her attempt at levity is lost, or rather, ignored by Sasuke.  
  
His expressions remains unchanged, “Sakura-”  
  
“Ah,” she interjects, “you're...wait, you're serious”.  
  
A child in the background laughs loudly as a large ice cream cake is placed before him. The child's parents begin snapping as many photos as their fingers can manage whilst their child's friend's begin singing a birthday tune for him. Sakura eyes briefly flicker to the scene, frowns when looking back to Sasuke, and mutters quietly, “you're real, aren't you?”  
  
This isn't caught by Sasuke, “pardon?”  
  
Sakura smiles, “they're taking a while to get you a glass of water, aren't they”.  
  
“Don't change the subject”.  
  
She feigns a look of innocence, “I'm just saying”.  
  
Their orders arrive not long after; Sakura's sundae and Sasuke's glass of water. He doesn't touch the beverage, instead finds himself grow increasingly frustrated by her rather successful manoeuvres at steering the conversation away from the topics of 'why did you leave Konoha, like really, why?' and 'is there something you're not telling me?'  
  
“You know, Sasuke-kun, sometimes people like to have a bit of a change in scenery”.  
  
“That doesn't explain renouncing your citizenship”.  
  
At this point in time, Sakura's sundae is finished, and Sasuke's glass of water still full to the brim. “I'll pay,” she announces, once again attempting to deflect. With an exasperated 'no,' from Sasuke, Sakura grins and adds, “I'm not dining and dashing – I'm rather fond of this place”.  
  
“You're not going to give me anything, are you?” Sasuke remarks, visibly annoyed.  
  
Sakura's demeanour softens, “give me time,” she says, her statement genuine – Sasuke is sure of it. Then, she adds quietly, “I guess, if you want my opinion, I would say that if you want to follow suit, it would be...good, for you to do so but, I don't think I have the same power over you that they have”.  
  
She stands up, heading to the front counter to pay. Sasuke, somewhat slightly less annoyed, takes a sip of his glass of water.


	2. Chapter 2

~ 2 months ago ~

_“She's a grown woman, Sasuke,” an attempt at wisdom by Naruto goes begging as he utters this remark with his mouth full of noodles._

_Sasuke chooses not to draw attention to this, “I'm aware”._

_“Good...”_

_“What is your point”._

_“Wha...” splutters the blond, “you're making a fuss!”_

_“...excuse me?”_

_“Sakura-chan is probably like...on a mission. Or whatever. And like, Kakashi-sensei is...busy? Look, even I know not to just barge in his office-”_

_“I didn't, barge in”._

_“Or whatever...like, it doesn't matter. The next time you come back to the village, she'll probably be here”._

_“Alright,” he pauses, “that isn't really my point”._

_“Yea it is”._

_“No it's...” Sasuke stops, “Naruto, listen”._

_“No you listen,” Naruto interjects, “can you,” the blond sighs, “I really need you to cover the bill for today...you good with that?”_

_Sasuke frowns, “no”._

.  
.  
.

~ PRESENT ~

“Sasuke-kun...did you break into my office?”

Sasuke frowns, “no”.

Sakura pauses, “then...”

“The door was unlocked”.

“Oh...” Sakura briefly flickers her line of sight to the entrance, mumbles a quick remark of 'for bucks sake' – or Sasuke at least hears something along those lines, then she turns back to said shinobi and states, “right, well, please get out of my office”.

Sasuke remains sitting behind her desk, comfortable in Sakura's low-cost office chair, “no”.

“Yes”.

“Sakura”.

“I'm kind of at work now, Sasuke-kun...and you didn't make an appointment”.

“Would you like me to?”

Sakura pauses. Her gaze narrows. She lets out a soft groan, “I've told you all I can, Sasuke-kun-”

“You haven't”.

“No, I haven't told you what you specifically want to hear. But big surprise, Sasuke-kun, things don't have to go the way you expect them to”.

“You're deflecting”.

“I'm not”.

“Sakura, simple question. What did Naruto do or say that made you-”

“Sasuke-kun, please,” her tone more agitated than pleading, “people drift apart. Naruto and I rarely saw eye to eye on many things – just you, really. And now, that connection isn't...I mean, its just things change...” she trails off.

He has asked her this before, for several days now. And whilst it appears with each day that passes, Sakura desires to tell Sasuke something more – but she struggles to convey in any sort of coherent manner her thoughts on her journey that had lead her here.

The gesture is odd to him though. She attempts to speak – but cannot – as if something is physically stopping her.

Sasuke throws her a lifeline – somewhat, “I remember you were far more articulate when we were younger”.

She stops, frowning “why would you say that to me?” she nearly whispers as her tone laces with a threatening manner, “that's such a risky thing to say to me”.

As such, this realisation hits Sasuke after already uttering his remark. And so, to keeps his skin unscathed, and his bones unbroken, the last Uchiha stands from Sakura's chair, clears his throat, and leaves her office.

.  
.  
.

He knows deep down Sakura isn't that angry – not really. But safety would dictate trying to bug her about he deflection after some time has passed.

So he decides to head home – to his temporary home.

When moving through the streets, many walk without a care to the world around them. Their job, their school, their place of business is where they're heading. Pausing to stop and smell the roses be damned.

Sasuke walks in a gait that matches this manner of thought. Though his senses, in-tune instinctively, does note something. Something, or rather, someone that makes him stop and look.

Amongst the flow of the street, stands a woman on his right. She stands in front of a closed tea shop. Originally caught in his peripheral; she stands in a white sundress, with dark long hair, and pale skin. She stares at Sasuke, a blank expression barring perhaps the softest of smiles.

Sasuke stares back, noting that she reminds him of an auntie he had once, back when he was younger. Back before a certain event.

The woman, upon being noticed, reacts with nothing. Choosing instead to continue to stare.

It is somewhat unnerving, so Sasuke turns back to the street, and continues onwards to his destination.

.  
.  
.

Kibō no machi isn't a particularly beautiful city, but it is large, and overwhelming. Sasuke gets lost on his way back to his temporary apartment. An odd occurrence, really. Typically direction and navigation seldom cause trouble for the shinobi.

Regardless, the embarrassment for Sasuke is short-lived as no one is there to witness this mishap.

Not until he reaches the door to his apartment and he finds Sakura waiting for him, a confused expression as he nears. She tells him, “I thought you'd be home a while ago”.

Not wanting to relay the real reason for this delay, Sasuke lies, “I had errands to run”.

“...really?”

“Yes”.

“Okay,” Sakura softly replies, “Sasuke-kun, I want to...tell you something”.

This is the first time she has taken the initiative, he notes. “What is it?”

“First off, I'm sorry-”

“You don't have anything to apologise for,” he pauses, “I _did_ question your...” he trails of.

Sakura smiles, “I...well, I want to tell you...I want to say...”

She struggles to finish.

Its there again, muses Sasuke. The suddenly in-articulate Sakura.

Theories swirl in his mind, but they're too far-fetched to be true.

He decides instead to throw her a lifeline again – a real one this time, “whatever it is that you're intending to say, it worked anyway. I'll follow you in defection of Konoha. I think its the right thing to do”.

Her eyes bulge, “excuse me...”

“I mean, I think I have been reinstated. Though if I haven't, defection will be much easier...”

“Sasuke-kun, wait-what are you-”

“Don't worry. I've thought this through”.

“No you...why?”

Its somewhat amusing to him to see her like this. For a week now he'd not seen her so unsure. A strange pleasure indeed, it isn't as if he'd normally enjoy Sakura in any sort of negative emotion. But this was different. He attempts to hide his smirk, “do you think I shouldn't?”

“No I,” she stops, “I...actually think you should defect”.

“Then whats the problem?”

“Its just...too convenient,” replies Sakura, “I thought you were...”. Though she trails off, he doesn't interrupt. Mainly because his curiosity outweighs his lack of patience.

So Sakura continues, “I would have mistaken this ten years ago as the ultimate proof that you care about me in...the same way I...” she pauses momentarily, and frowns softly, “now I'm not so sure”.

They'd somewhat danced around this topic for years now. The brief intermittent stops in Konoha before resuming his journey would always be marked with an unsure but still somewhat known aspect of 'what is their relationship?'

And he'd known, in a way, what they were – are. But nothing was ever said, from his side that is. He knew her feelings – knew them well. But this remark - “I would have mistaken this ten years ago as the ultimate proof that you care about me” - makes him want to laugh.

Does she still doubt him?

“Sakura,” he begins, “perhaps we should go inside first,” he nods his front door.

In a blink-and-you-miss-it moment of hesitancy, Sakura ghosts the movement of stepping back. However, instead, she nods and agrees to enter Sasuke's apartment.


	3. Chapter 3

Call him a sucker for the cliché but he'd always been under the assumption that one day, he and Sakura would wed. There was no established romantic relationship between them currently, and yes, it had been a few years since the last time Sakura had declared her feelings for him openly – something he himself had never reciprocated. However, it was an unspoken _thing_ between them.  
  
Or so Sasuke would like to assume.  
  
It did not need to be said, or pushed. It would simply just happen – one day.  
  
Again, an assumption – but a strong assumption, nonetheless, muses Sasuke.  
  
Sakura takes off her shoes and places them by the front door. She then takes a seat on a chair across from Sasuke. He watches as her mind whirls with what to say first.  
  
“So...” she begins, “you want to...defect”.  
  
He smirks, “it seems to have worked out for you”  
  
“Ah,” she laughs, “so you assume”.  
  
“Can I get you anything,” asks Sasuke, veering slightly off-topic to observe some semblance of a proper host.  
  
Sakura pauses briefly, as if in thought, before answering, “actually...could I make you something?”  
  
His silence prompts her to continue. “Well,” says Sakura, “there is this new tea...brew, that I learned of – recently”.  
  
That unnecessary awkwardness, muses Sasuke; almost fondly, whilst answering Sakura with a, “sure, go ahead”.  
  
.  
.  
.  
  
_~ 2 months ago ~_  
  
_“Hey do you know how much land the Uchiha own?” Naruto asks, separating the leafy greens in his bowl from the rice and meat._  
  
_Sasuke still waits for his meal, “yes. Why wouldn't I?”_  
  
_“Wha...” splutters the blond, “you can't know all of it”._  
  
_“Yes, I do”._  
  
_“No...you.....dont?”_  
  
_“Naruto-”_  
  
_“I mean, its a lot of land”._  
  
_“I know”._  
  
_“You wouldn't need all of it, yea?”_  
  
_“No,” replies Sasuke, “though I've discussed this with Sakura a while back. I'm inclined to lean towards her idea to return some of the outer regions to the community”._  
  
_“Oh...like, another clan?”_  
  
_“No,” pauses Sasuke, “not to another clan. Something more like a community resource, or a medical centre, or a park-”_  
  
_“Is this what Sakura told you to do?”_  
  
_“She didn't tell me to do anything,” remarks Sasuke, “she merely suggested it”._  
  
_“And you're liking the idea?”_  
  
_“I really don't need all that land”._  
  
_“Ah,” Naruto looks away, wearing a somewhat pained expression, “well...like, its still a lot of land. Some of it, you probably wont...remember”._  
  
_Sasuke does not to reply to the remark; the waiter places his bowl of noodles before him._  
  
.  
.  
.  
  
He expects Sakura's tea to be much sweeter than it is; but the taste suits him rather well. “Its good,” he says.  
  
She beams, and replies, “thanks”.  
  
A comfortable lulls passes between the two before Sakura decides, 'heck, why not break it' by remarking, “so...your deflection...”  
  
“Hmm,” he hums.  
  
“You still want to do it?”  
  
“Why not,” Sasuke half-grins.  
  
“What if I said that I think it may do you more harm than good?”  
  
“I'd think you be wrong,” Sasuke replies.  
  
A small, but brief smile flickers across the kunochi's expression, “Sasuke-kun, how are you feeling?”  
  
he pauses, “okay”.  
  
“Feeling, okay?”  
  
“Calm,” he states, “what...your tea...”  
  
“Ah, its nothing really. Just some strong green tea”.  
  
“It...is?”  
  
“Normal stuff”.  
  
“Okay,” says Sasuke, lacking whatever energy would be needed to question this matter further.  
  
He is, after all, okay – calm. He is calm. He is fine.  
  
“So,” says Sakura, “...unfortunately I kind of have an appointment in a few minutes”.  
  
“Ah”.  
  
“Would it be okay to continue this some other time? Tomorrow perhaps? I can make this tea for you again”.  
  
Still plastering a half-grin, Sasuke nods to the affirmative.  
  
They can continue this tomorrow – that is fine.  
  
.  
.  
.  
  
Her conscious is not without any latent turmoil, but her actions of prior do not instigate this. That she would do without hesitation.  
  
She has to.  
  
Sasuke's demeanour was calm, he was content – as opposed to jumpy, agitated, or disgusted.  
  
His reaction was a positive. If anything, proving what Sakura wanted to see.  
  
But a pragmatic mind mind rarely believes with only the first chance of hope. A hypothesis would need to be tested more than once. So she will come back tomorrow, and the next day if needed.  
  
A bonus to this all; her words flow far more freely with his mind clouded in such a way. That ghost of a choker wrapped around her throat can not hinder her from speaking if her subject is unable to comprehend. Instead, she must hope, that some of what she will tell him gets through.  
  
Hopefully he will remember, and be safe – that is, assuming, her hypothesis is correct.  
  
.  
.  
.  
  
The sky is dark and the streets are loud when Sasuke first begins to ponder over the events of that afternoon.  
  
Sakura had visited – he had wanted to straighten a few things out. The first being her remark from earlier - “I would have mistaken this ten years ago as the ultimate proof that you care about me”  
  
That insecurity of hers, really. Have they not passed this point?  
  
However Sasuke remembers covering very little of this topic. He remembers covering very little of any topic he wanted to.  
  
They drank tea, she had an appointment – then left.  
  
Pathetic; nothing resolved.  
  
They drank tea – muses Sasuke. A calming tea, but one he doubts would affect his judgement in such a way. In what world would Sakura be cruel enough to drug him. She had simply left thereafter, logically such a move is inconsistent.  
  
And in any case, poisons, and concoctions along such lines do not work within his bloodstream. Not anymore.  He would be immune, so it would not be that.  
  
He simply had a momentary lapse in judgement.  
  
Odd, _really_ , for him.  
  
.  
.  
.  
  
_~ 2 months ago ~_  
  
_“You can't just do that, man!”_  
  
_Sasuke shrugs, “why not, they were on my property”._  
  
_“No you – that was my girlfriend's clan members”._  
  
_“Is that supposed to mean anything to me?”_  
  
_“You can't just, shoot a fireball...”_  
  
_“My – property”._  
  
_“Seriously,” Naruto cries out in exasperation. “Look...I made a mistake”._  
  
_“You did,” Sasuke interjects, “I told you, I know every block of land I own”._  
  
_“Yea I...get that...”_  
  
_“And, like I said last time, should I give away my land, it wouldn't be to some other clan whose wealth already eclipses most of the working class”._  
  
_“You're...exaggerating...”_  
  
_Sasuke smirks, “you don't even know yourself, do you?”_  
  
_Naruto frowns, “your such a...bastard”._  
  
.  
.  
.  
  
“Dr Haruno?”  
  
The woman at the receptionist desk gives him a wry smile, but doesn't answer his statement of nothing more than ' _Dr. Haruno_ '.  
  
The obvious nature of the statement – ' _Dr. Haruno_ ' being translated to _'tell me where Sakura's office is, now_ '  appears to have lost its meaning to the older woman, who instead finds more joy gifting her eyes with the joy of Sasuke's appearance.  
  
Subtlety being the lost art on both their ends.  
  
Perhaps he eludes a certain charm that attracts older ladies.  
  
This is not the first time, after all.  
  
“Sasuke-kun,” comes a call from down the corridor, immediately drawing his attention away from the non-existent conversation between himself and the nurse at the receptionist desk.  
  
Turning on his heel, Sasuke walks down the corridor towards a softly-smiling Sakura. “What are you doing here?” she asks with a hint of levity, her smile morphing half into a grin.  
  
He replies, “are you free?”  
  
Sakura answers with a look, one that conveys she'd somewhat expected him to come see her – she merely been wondering _when_ it was that he'd come around.  
  
“Almost,” she replies, nodding for him to follow as she turns around and begins walking the rest of the corridor.  
  
Without hesitation, Sasuke follows.


End file.
